Blues 2022
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@nzzp Beehre and Craig are coming through as locks too. Suspect the Blues will need a generous apprentice scheme to keep the talent.
@Tim Craig spent time with the main squad too this year, although he squeaks in under 2m.
Kali Vaipulu is a shade over 2m but a big unit, was in blues U18 3 or 4 years ago, played in the Northland trial game v NH the other day, playing bloody well for Morewa / United Kawakawa.
Although Northland are unusually strong at lock presently, so will need some injuries I expect: Goodhue, Caird, Hallam-Eames, Craig and even Tom.
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@Tim Craig spent time with the main squad too this year, although he squeaks in under 2m.
Kali Vaipulu is a shade over 2m but a big unit, was in blues U18 3 or 4 years ago, played in the Northland trial game v NH the other day, playing bloody well for Morewa / United Kawakawa.
Although Northland are unusually strong at lock presently, so will need some injuries I expect: Goodhue, Caird, Hallam-Eames, Craig and even Tom.
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@taniwharugby There's 22 yo Felix Kalapu at Auckland too.
@Tim interesting looking over this team sheet
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@Tim Craig spent time with the main squad too this year, although he squeaks in under 2m.
Kali Vaipulu is a shade over 2m but a big unit, was in blues U18 3 or 4 years ago, played in the Northland trial game v NH the other day, playing bloody well for Morewa / United Kawakawa.
Although Northland are unusually strong at lock presently, so will need some injuries I expect: Goodhue, Caird, Hallam-Eames, Craig and even Tom.
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2022:
Kali Vaipulu is a shade over 2m but a big unit, was in blues U18 3 or 4 years ago, played in the Northland trial game v NH the other day, playing bloody well for Morewa / United Kawakawa.
Is this the guy who was in the Chiefs U20s last year? Listed as a BOP player. Bloody tall.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2022:
Kali Vaipulu is a shade over 2m but a big unit, was in blues U18 3 or 4 years ago, played in the Northland trial game v NH the other day, playing bloody well for Morewa / United Kawakawa.
Is this the guy who was in the Chiefs U20s last year? Listed as a BOP player. Bloody tall.
@Bovidae yeah I think thats him.
Google says he was in BOP HP Squad last year.
@Steven-Harris I think he mentioned he has a relative that played for Northland previously, which is why he has come back/up here.
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@Tim interesting looking over this team sheet
@taniwharugby A Ta$man and MP lock in there too (Mahonri Ngakuru).
Will be interesting to see if Hamdahn Tuipulotu plays NPC this year.
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Looking at that Blues U18 squad, is Josh Jacomb an Aucklander who has headed to Taranaki, or was he just schooled at Sacred Heart?
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https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/young-trio-extend-contracts
A trio of emerging young Auckland players have extended their time with the Blues for a further two years. Loose forward Adrian Choat, 24, halfback Taufa Funaki, 22 and midfielder Corey Evans, 21 have signed through to 2024, having emerged through the Auckland and Blues development pathway. The trio has made over 20 appearances for the Blues between them this year with Choat playing in 12 of the 14 games mostly off the bench, while Funaki has had two starts in his six appearances and Evans four with two starts. -
https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/young-trio-extend-contracts
A trio of emerging young Auckland players have extended their time with the Blues for a further two years. Loose forward Adrian Choat, 24, halfback Taufa Funaki, 22 and midfielder Corey Evans, 21 have signed through to 2024, having emerged through the Auckland and Blues development pathway. The trio has made over 20 appearances for the Blues between them this year with Choat playing in 12 of the 14 games mostly off the bench, while Funaki has had two starts in his six appearances and Evans four with two starts.@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2022:
https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/young-trio-extend-contracts
A trio of emerging young Auckland players have extended their time with the Blues for a further two years. Loose forward Adrian Choat, 24, halfback Taufa Funaki, 22 and midfielder Corey Evans, 21 have signed through to 2024, having emerged through the Auckland and Blues development pathway. The trio has made over 20 appearances for the Blues between them this year with Choat playing in 12 of the 14 games mostly off the bench, while Funaki has had two starts in his six appearances and Evans four with two starts.Why are two of them doing gang signs?
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2022:
https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/young-trio-extend-contracts
A trio of emerging young Auckland players have extended their time with the Blues for a further two years. Loose forward Adrian Choat, 24, halfback Taufa Funaki, 22 and midfielder Corey Evans, 21 have signed through to 2024, having emerged through the Auckland and Blues development pathway. The trio has made over 20 appearances for the Blues between them this year with Choat playing in 12 of the 14 games mostly off the bench, while Funaki has had two starts in his six appearances and Evans four with two starts.Why are two of them doing gang signs?
@Machpants "W" for Waitemata or West Auckland.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2022:
https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/young-trio-extend-contracts
A trio of emerging young Auckland players have extended their time with the Blues for a further two years. Loose forward Adrian Choat, 24, halfback Taufa Funaki, 22 and midfielder Corey Evans, 21 have signed through to 2024, having emerged through the Auckland and Blues development pathway. The trio has made over 20 appearances for the Blues between them this year with Choat playing in 12 of the 14 games mostly off the bench, while Funaki has had two starts in his six appearances and Evans four with two starts.Why are two of them doing gang signs?
@Machpants said in Blues 2022:
Why are two of them doing gang signs?
They aren't gang signs.
Choat is from West Auckland so that's a W and and Funaki is from East Auckland so that's an E.
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@Machpants said in Blues 2022:
Why are two of them doing gang signs?
They aren't gang signs.
Choat is from West Auckland so that's a W and and Funaki is from East Auckland so that's an E.
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@KiwiMurph riiiiight, that originated in East and Westside gangs in USA
@Machpants said in Blues 2022:
@KiwiMurph riiiiight, that originated in East and Westside gangs in USA
Ok? It's 2022 - those hand signals in 2022 don't mean "gang signs"
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a mate pointed me to this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Super_12_season#Semi_finals
history to repeat itself?
Semi finals
17 May 2003
19:35
Auckland Blues New Zealand 42 – 21 Australia ACT Brumbies
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 42,000Grand final
Main article: 2003 Super 12 Final
24 May 2003
19:35
Auckland Blues New Zealand 21 – 17 New Zealand Canterbury Crusaders
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 45,000[6] -
Wanted to reflect again on how far we've come.
- 4-12 record. Beat Reds, Lions, Sunwolves and Tahs. Tana was coach.
Then in Feb 2019 the board (who had endorsed Tana for another year) changed, Don MacKinnon stepped up, appointed Leon, and the rest as they say is history.
We were an utter shambles. Losing to the Rebels at home that year was surely the nadir.
Whatever the result this weekend, we're back at the pointy end of the comp, with a talent pipeline and org that means we should be there most years now.
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Wanted to reflect again on how far we've come.
- 4-12 record. Beat Reds, Lions, Sunwolves and Tahs. Tana was coach.
Then in Feb 2019 the board (who had endorsed Tana for another year) changed, Don MacKinnon stepped up, appointed Leon, and the rest as they say is history.
We were an utter shambles. Losing to the Rebels at home that year was surely the nadir.
Whatever the result this weekend, we're back at the pointy end of the comp, with a talent pipeline and org that means we should be there most years now.
@nzzp Haha yeah, its funny because a lot of mates and people I associate with these days are Crusaders fans (obviously living in Chch does that), and every week they expect/hope for us to trip up and expect me to have a meltdown if we don't go on to win the comp. All I have to remind them is that it used to take us 3-4 years to win 15 games along with other things such as going years and years at a time without beating NZ opposition and that these days are glory days for us.
Its fair to say that the period from 2004-2019 was a real humbling experience for us Blues fans, so to be in this position right now was a dream in itself only a few years back.
